The Palace of Versailles is one of Europe’s most popular tourist attractions – but it seems to be a victim of its own success, with visitors claiming they felt like ‘sheep’
Over tourism is rapidly becoming an issue in top European countries like France and Spain. A recent study by the experts at Holidu scoured Tripadvisor comments, scouting for frequent references to “overcrowded” or “too crowded”. The majestic Versailles Palace, renowned and flocked by tourists in France, emerged as the prime example, with over five per cent of reviews mentioning one of the words.
This former seat of royalty, nestled just outside Paris, is maybe best-known as Marie Antoinette’s home. Boasting the illustrious Hall of Mirrors and lush gardens, this historical gem draws close to 15 million visitors each year, sparking a debate on whether it’s reached its visitor saturation point.
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One exasperated Tripadvisor user, ‘Wanderer35996’, lamented: “The building was stifling. With the overcrowding (literally could not move, much less see anything), it was miserable.”
Another, ‘ATLpch’, recalled the experience, sharing: “We were all herded like cattle through the same palace rooms and single passage doorways for about an hour.”
Yet another compared their visit to an unwieldy procession, commenting: “Once inside, there was a conga line of people who moved through the palace like sheep. It was a circus!”
A different tourist remarked on the irony of the situation, observing: “The amount of people kills all the pleasure. Even though the place is beautiful, it’s hard to enjoy and admire it.”
However, amidst the critiques, the Palace did enchant some of its guests, , reports the Express. A charmed visitor confessed they “fell in love with the Palace”.
And yet another delighted guest heaped praise, describing it as a “must visit” while saying: “it was amazing to see the Palace in all its glory. It was outstanding”.
Europe’s most congested tourist spots: